Barry Humphries was an Australian comic and entertainer best known for Dame Edna Everage. He died on April 22, 2019. He was aged 89.
Humphries’ family said in a release that he died after complications resulting from hip surgery in a Sydney-area hospital.
“He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit,” The family member said. “With over 70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to his core, touring up until the last year of his life and planning more shows that will sadly never be.”
Humphries, according to reports, fell and needed a hip implant in February. According to reports, Humphries had hip surgery on March 1. However, this week, due to complications, he went back to the hospital and died. Sydney Morning Herald.
Humphries, born 1934 in Melbourne, Australia created Edna Everage as a satirical character in 1955. In the ’70s, the character became a huge hit when Humphries brought his talents to London.
From then on, in the ’80s and ’90s, Humphries appeared on talk shows, specials and in films, as Dame Edna and his other alter-egos Les Patterson and Sandy Stone, including the British comedy show, “The Dame Edna Experience,” in 1987.
Humphries’ success spilled into the United States as well. In 2000, he won a Special Tony Award for his Broadway show “Dame Edna, The Royal Tour,” and he appeared as Edna in “Ally McBeal” in 2001.
Humphries has been survived by Lizzie Spender is his wife and partner of thirty years. He has 10 children.
